Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton looks over his shoulder after pulling in the winning touchdown pass from Andrew Luck in the fourth quarter. The Indianapolis Colts hosted the Kansas City Chiefs at Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday, January 4, 2014.(Photo: Mike Fender)

"He is certainly someone that they will move around and put in different spots and really make you have to try to prepare and be alert and aware for him in all different positions," the Patriots' defensive coordinator said of tracking Hilton in Saturday's AFC divisional playoff game in New England at 8:15 p.m..

Consider the nomadic Hilton during the Colts' opening seven-play drive in Saturday's 45-44 wild-card victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. He:

>>kick-started the possession with a 12-yard reception on a quick slant out of the left slot.

>>lined up wide right and ran a quick out for a 5-yard completion.

>>capped it with a 10-yard touchdown catch down the seam from the right slot.

Is there a favorite location? Left slot, right slot, wide left, wide right? In a "bunch" formation with Griff Whalen and LaVon Brazill?

When the Colts offense featured Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, determining which was where was a non-issue. No. 88 lined up wide right with No. 87 flanked wide left.

Wayne's primary position was the left-side after Harrison's retirement, although he frequently worked out of the slot in three-receiver formations.

That was the approach at the outset of this season. In the base offense, Wayne was the left-side starter and Darrius Heyward-Bey split wide right. When coordinator Pep Hamilton spread the formation with a third receiver, Wayne slid into the slot and Hilton took his place outside.

Hilton's role has expanded and responsibilities increased since Wayne suffered a season-ending knee surgery Oct. 20. Including his epic playoff performance against the Chiefs – 13 receptions, 224 yards, two touchdowns – he's generated 68 receptions, 895 yards and five TDs the last 10 games. His receptions and yards against Kansas City were club postseason records.

"We know the special talents and the special plays that he's capable of making," coach Chuck Pagano said. "And obviously our quarterback has a great synergy and chemistry with him and a trust level that's extremely high."

The post-Wayne evolution has been steady, but has spiked the past two games.

Hamilton has been creative with how he's used his second-year receiver, and quarterback Andrew Luck and Hilton have done the rest. Luck's overall passer rating the last two games is a solid 99.9. It's 105.5 when targeting Hilton (24-of-33, 379 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions). Hilton has accounted for 40 percent of Luck's targets against Jacksonville and the Chiefs, and 52.3 percent of his yards.

While Hilton has been here, there, everywhere, he spent most of his time and did his heaviest damage to the Chiefs last Saturday out of the slot: 48 of his 57 snaps, 219 of his 224 yards and both touchdowns.

Moving Hilton around makes it more difficult for a defense to specifically game plan for him, primarily because it doesn't know where he's going to be from play to play. Hamilton has challenged him to learn the assignments and nuances all four spots.

"He's a guy that takes a tremendous amount of pride in knowing what to do and knowing how to do it," Hamilton said. "He's shown that he can actually go out and do it on a consistent basis."

Hilton smiled when asked if he's ever been confused on where he should line up.

"Sometimes," he said. "I just look at the personnel coming in and ask guys where they're at, so I know where I'm at."

Luck disagreed.

"He is 100 percent sharp on it," he said. "His preparation is really impressive. He's not just an athlete. He's not just a 'playground, go-make-a-play guy.'

"He was always in Reggie's ear last year about how to do things. He's always in his ear this year, still. It's been really fun to play with him."

As effective as Hilton has been, he should anticipate being in the Patriots' crosshairs Saturday at Gillette Stadium. Pagano calls Belichick's approach of making an opponent rely on secondary options as making a team "play left-handed."

The Patriots often assign Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib to the opposing team's top receiver. They also undoubtedly will offer safety help to whomever is chasing Hilton.

"Jackson-esque, yeah," Arrington said. "They do multiple things with him. We just have to be aware of where he is when they line up in their formations, and I mean everybody has to be definitely at the point of attack this week."

"There's no way for us to know what their plan is until we kick the ball off. We'll see," Hamilton said. "(But) we've said since Day 1, there's no 'can't-dos.' Now is the time for us to let our hair down and let it all hang out. We're not saving any plays.''

That's just fine with Hilton, even if he's the focal point of New England's defensive game plan.

"I'm just going to go out there and play my game," he said. "You take me away and (other) guys are going to step up and make plays. If they don't (take me away), I'll just make the plays I'm normally making.

"If the ball comes my way, I'll be able to make the play."

Call Star reporter Mike Chappell at (317) 444-6830. You can follow him on Twitter at @mchappell51.